Clothesline prop



Feb. 20, 1940..

R. J. KROENKE ET AL CLOTHESLINE PROP Filed Nov. 29, 1958 In venfons' J y. .7. d k

f./ f I "Franz? fzzZZer M B wga Patented Feb. 20, 1940 CLOTHESLINE PROP Ruben J. Kroenke and Frank Fuller, East Detroit,

Mich

Application November 29, 1938, Serial No. 243,040

1 Claim.

Our invention relates generally to props for lines, cables, and the like, whether of rope, of bare wire, or of covered wire or the like, and particularly to an arrangement of this character in which means is provided for simply and easily but positively locking the upper end of the prop in non-sliding relation to the line, and an important object of our invention is to provide an inexpensive and practical arrangement of this character.

Other important objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein for purposes of illustration we have shown a preferred embodiment of our invention,

In the drawing:-

Figure l is a general perspective view showing the prop in use for supporting a line.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken through the upper part of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the upper end, of the prop.

Figure 4 is a plan View of the swingable locking member.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral generally designates the prop or the like which is formed in its upper end with a slot 6 which is slightly tapered and has its wide end opening through the terminal of the top of the prop. A clamping bolt receiving hole I is spaced below the slot or notch 6 and is longitudinally aligned therewith. A clamping bolt 8 passes through i the opening 'I and also through the opening 9 in the swingable locking member III, the laterally outward terminal of the opening 9 being squared as indicated by the numeral II to non-rotatably accommodate the squared portion I2 on the bolt 8 which is adjacent to the head I3 which engages the outer side of the locking member I as shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. A washer I4 engages the outer face of the prop and a wing nut I5 is arranged to bear against this washer when threaded on the bolt. The swingable member Ill has formed in one side thereof the arcuate notch or slot I6 which is concentric with the center of the opening 9 and hence with the axis of the bolt 8 and this notch or slot I6 opens through one edge of the member Ill.

When the member I0 is assembled by means of the bolt 8 on the prop 5 with the longitudinal axis of the member ID aligned with the longitudinal axis of the prop 5, the open end of the arcuate notch I6 will be depressed with respect to th bottom of the notch 6 in the prop 5, while the inner end of the arcute notch I6 willbe positioned substantially coincidental with the curved bottom it Of the notch 6, but slightly downwardly displaced.

When the rope, cable, wire, or the like I7 which the prop is to be used'to support, is placed in the notch 6 with the locking member ID in an open position,,that is, tilted to one side, and the locking member then brought toward longitudinal alignment with the prop 5, with the line I! entered in the notch I6, the completion of the movement of the locking member toward alignment with the prop will result in forceful imprisonment of the line in the notches 6 and I6, so that the line is forcibly gripped so that displacement of the prop in any direction relative to the line is positively prevented while the member ID is held in the closed position by the prising a bar-like member bifurcated at its outer end and defining a line seating keeper notch between the furcations, a retention member in the form of a substantially rectangular block, said block functioning as a turn-button and being superimposed upon the bifurcated end portion of the prop, an attachment and pivot bolt passing through the block and the adjacent companion portion of the prop at a point in alignment with and below the crotch of said keeper notch, said bolt being providedwith a wing nut for clamping the block in open and closed positions, the 

